BlogItsForMonday:

 

MONDAY

January 31, 2011

26 Shvat 5771

Belwo is the Schedule for Monday thru Friday Posts. Some issues with Posts not converting due to browser settings are being addressed. The goal this week in BlogIts is to have a full schedule of Posts and the alternative sites available in these "notes".

 

The Schedule

Blogger posts

Last Call

Last Word

Last Chance Bible Study

Last Generation

The Classic Christian

Michael James Stone (Jesus Gypsy)

Facts? The Chapbook series

 

Last Call is your Devotion with Emotion seeking to present a variety of posts that reflect the Spirit of God speaking directly to the reader. The authors are selected because it my contention that in rading these, a person can and does Hear God Speak to them.

Greg Laurie                                 Raul Ries                    Jon Courson

Oswald Chambers              Streams in the Desert           God Calling        

Charles Stanley                       Charles Spurgeon            Chuck Smith

Joyce Meyers                           Alistair Begg                One Year Bible        

Mike MacIntosh                         Bob Coy                    Bob Caldwell

A.W.Tozer                              Experiencing God           Daily Light        

Ray Stedman                              Daily Bread               Daily Leadership

 

Last Call posts Daily with limited posts on WeekEnds.

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DailyLeadership: "Do you guard and guide those on the team you lead? (159-1)"

Do you guard and guide those on the team you lead? (159-1)

Written by Barry-Werner on January 31st, 2011. Posted in Courage/Risk-Taking, Exhortation, Jeremiah, Leadership Principles, Old Testament, Relationships.

Every effective leader will serve in the role of watchman at times and sound the alarm for their team when they see trouble ahead. Read Jeremiah 6:16-19.

Jeremiah was described in verse 17 as a watchman. By definition a watchman guards and patrols. The people of Judah had determined not to follow God’s laws or principles and Jeremiah sounded a warning to those living in error. Jeremiah illustrated the leader’s job as a watchman when God asked him to guard or patrol the covenant established between Him and the people.

Serving in the watchman role is not easy. There are no guaranteed results for watchmen. Jeremiah served well as a watchman, but he never convinced the masses to get on board with the right results. Jeremiah became an isolated leader and a lone voice for God’s standard. Leaders will always be faced with the temptation to forego doing what is right to retain members of their team.

Leaders serving in the role of watchman guard and guide those they lead. They guard against those that would change the vision. They monitor quality control to insure there is no slippage in quality to save cost or increase profit margins. They keep the team focused on the organization’s core values. They guide those they oversee insuring morale and relationships are what they need to be for success. They watch out for financial danger ahead and insure accurate budgets and accountability against the budget. They sound the alarm against those that would drift from the vision. Watchmen must possess strong moral fiber and must remain committed to a strong sense of what is right and wrong.

There are leaders whose primary role is serving as the watchman but every leader must develop and exercise some watchman skills. Do you willingly step up to the role of watchman when you see issues that call for correction or exhortation? Wise leaders understand the importance of this vital part of leadership.

Proverbs 27:23-24tlb “Riches can disappear fast. And the king’s crown doesn’t stay in his family forever – so watch your business interests closely. Know the state of your flocks and your herds.”

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DailyBread: "Ignoring Grace"

Ignoring Grace

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January 31, 2011 — by Bill Crowder
Our Daily Bread Radio is hosted by Les Lamborn
Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. —Matthew 7:14

In the hectic downtown of one of Asia’s great cities, I marveled at the busy sidewalks filled with people. There seemed to be no room to move in the crush of humanity, yet it also seemed that everyone was moving at top speed.

My attention was drawn to the soft, almost mournful sound of a single trumpeter playing “Amazing Grace.” The crowds appeared oblivious to both the musician and the music. Still, he played—sending a musical message of the love of God out to whoever knew the song and would think about the words as he played.

I thought of this experience as a parable. The music seemed to be an invitation to the masses to follow Christ. As with the gospel message, some believe in God’s amazing grace and choose the narrow way. Others ignore His grace, which is the broad way that leads to everlasting destruction. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).

Jesus died so that “whoever calls” on His name (Rom. 10:13) can find forgiveness in His grace.


Amazing grace—how sweet the sound—
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see. —Newton

Christ believed is salvation received.

Was blind but now I see. —Newton

Christ believed is salvation received.

Posted via email from ..................The Last Call Digest

BobCaldwell: "Social Justice"

CLICK FOR THE DESIRED DAY'S DEVOTION: MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY

MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2011 (TOP)

SOCIAL JUSTICE

(DEUTERONOMY 23:9-25:19)

  "You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless, nor take a widow's garment as a pledge. But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing." -Deuteronomy 24:17-18

This section continues to define what this new nation of Israel is to look like. This includes a further list that relates primarily to social issues. As we have already stated in our reading of the laws here in Deuteronomy, we must remember they are leaving Egypt, a pagan society, and going into Canaan, a pagan society even more corrupt than Egypt.

These laws were a beginning step in an ancient world where justice and sexual morality were seen very differently. The influence of New Testament revelation on social justice, marriage, sexuality, forgiveness, etc. on today's world many times makes it difficult to fully understand the world that Israel lived in as they were becoming a nation. We take for granted that slavery is wrong, that there is equality for all people, male and female. This was unknown in ancient times. So, in looking at these laws and regulations, what we are left with is a picture of God's desire to establish a basis for justice in the family and for the care of the poor in light of the current social context.

How the poor are treated is an area where we see God especially identifies Himself and His people with a responsibility to make a difference (24:12-22). He promises to bless the nation and the "work of your hands" (24:19) if they help the poor. This remains a core value in the New Testament where James reminds us that pure and undefiled religion before God is the care for the orphan and the widow (James 1:27). How we treat the poor provides a living example of God's love. God should be seen in these regulations an effort to begin to establish protection and justice for women who were divorced, how collateral is handled by a person who loans money (24:10-13), or a woman who is mistreated by her brother-in-law (25:5-10).

We must therefore take these ancient principles and apply them to the world we live in today. At first we may not see any connection. But in fact the issues of justice, treatment of the poor, debt, etc. are still places where God's people must be a voice and light for Him.

NKJV BIBLE TEXT

Deuteronomy 23:9-25:19

  Cleanliness of the Campsite

9 "When the army goes out against your enemies, then keep yourself from every wicked thing. 10 If there is any man among you who becomes unclean by some occurrence in the night, then he shall go outside the camp; he shall not come inside the camp. 11 But it shall be, when evening comes, that he shall wash with water; and when the sun sets, he may come into the camp.

12 "Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; 13 and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. 14 For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.

Miscellaneous Laws

15 "You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you. 16 He may dwell with you in your midst, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him.

17 "There shall be no ritual harlot of the daughters of Israel, or a perverted one of the sons of Israel. 18 You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house of the LORD your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God.

19 "You shall not charge interest to your brother—interest on money or food or anything that is lent out at interest. 20 To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the LORD your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess.

21 "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. 22 But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you. 23 That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth.

24 "When you come into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes at your pleasure, but you shall not put any in your container. 25 When you come into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor's standing grain.

Cleanliness of the Campsite

v. 13 when you sit down outside – During times of war, the army was still expected to maintain good hygiene. Digging latrines outside the camp provided obvious health benefits.

v. 14 your camp shall be holy – Cleanliness was also important for ritual and religious purposes. Impurity within the camp of Israel would have caused God to judge them (Deut. 8:11-20).

Miscellaneous Laws

v. 15 slaves – Israel allowed debt slavery, but that was limited to a term of six years. The slave mentioned in this verse probably refers to a foreign captive who had accepted the conditions of slavery when Israel possessed the Promised Land.

v. 17 ritual harlot – The nations surrounding Israel had ritual harlots who gathered at their temples. The proceeds from their prostitution went directly to their pagan temples.

v. 25 you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle – This law was a hospitality law and meant to provide food for a hungry person. But it also protected the crop owner from being taken advantage of. Later, Jesus and His disciples benefited from this law as they passed through a grain field and plucked heads of grain to eat (Matt. 12:1).

DEUTERONOMY 24

Law Concerning Divorce

1 "When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man's wife, 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, 4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Chapter 24

Law Concerning Divorce.

v. 1 uncleanness  "Ervah" (Heb.) usually meant nakedness. But because it does not refer to adultery in context (punishable by death, Deut. 22:22), it may have meant a physical problem, such as the inability to bear children. For centuries this became a controversial passage to the children of Israel. Jesus was confronted about it in Matthew 19:3-9 and in Mark 10:1-12..

v. 2 certificate of divorce – a legal document that provided certain rights to the divorcee (Lev. 21:7, 14; 22:13; Num. 30:9; Matt. 19:3-9), apparently for her protection.

v. 4 an abomination  "Towebah" (Heb.) meant a disgusting thing in both a ritual sense and in an ethical sense, meaning it was considered a wicked thing. The idea here is that if a woman's second husband died or divorced her, she was not to remarry her first husband. That was legal adultery in the eyes of the Lord.

Miscellaneous Laws

5 "When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.

6 "No man shall take the lower or the upper millstone in pledge, for he takes one's living in pledge.

7 "If a man is found kidnapping any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper shall die; and you shall put away the evil from among you.

8 "Take heed in an outbreak of leprosy, that you carefully observe and do according to all that the priests, the Levites, shall teach you; just as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. 9 Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way when you came out of Egypt!

Miscellaneous Laws

v. 5 new wife – It was important for a man to have a posterity that carried on his lineage (25:5-10). Therefore, he was spared his possible death in warfare for a year to accomplish this and to bring sawmakh (Heb. for " to rejoice and be glad") to his wife. Free from the rigors of warfare and the pressures of any business, the husband was to make his wife's happiness his priority, thus making for a strong marriage and future family.

v. 6 millstone – A millstone was one of two stones used to grind a family's daily bread. To take either one as a pledge, or collateral for a loan, was to deprive a family of its living. This contradicted the spirit of generosity, which should have been the motivation of the lender.

v. 7 kidnapping – Kidnapping was a capital crime if it entailed mistreating or selling of the victim. This was considered rarah (Heb.), meaning "bad or malignant," and was to be purged to maintain national purity (13:5, 17:7, 12; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21-22, 24).

v. 8-9 – These verses deal with leprosy, a malignant skin disease, extensively dealt with in Leviticus 13-14. What we know as leprosy today, Hansen's disease, is different from the disease mentioned here. Miriam, Moses' sister, is the motivation to obey this ceremonial law. She became a victim of the disease when she opposed Moses in Numbers 12.

10 "When you lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to get his pledge. 11 You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you. 12 And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge overnight. 13 You shall in any case return the pledge to him again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before the LORD your God.

14 "You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. 15 Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the LORD, and it be sin to you.

16 "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.

17 "You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless, nor take a widow's garment as a pledge. 18 But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing.

19 "When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing.

v. 10-13 pledge – A pledge was an article used to secure a debt. If a poor person had pledged his garment as security, it was to be returned to him every evening so that he could sleep in it and not be cold. This was to be a witness of righteousness, or tsedawkaw ("an ethically right act, before the Lord") in Hebrew.

v. 14-15 not oppress – This establishes the correct treatment of employees by employers. Employers could not take financial advantage of them by withholding their wages. Oppress is ashaq (Heb.), meaning "to press upon, to violate and defraud." If someone felt that they were being mistreated, they could cry out to the Lord, for mistreatment was a sin. In these verses, as in the ones before, God is the great equalizer in society between the rich and the poor. He wants all to be treated fairly and with respect, for all are made in His image (Gen. 1:26), no matter financial or social status.

v. 17-18 shall not pervert justice  "Mishpat"(Heb.) means "judgment or ordinance." Moses charges the children of Israel not to pervert justice in their dealings with people who could be easily oppressed and taken advantage of (i.e. the stranger, fatherless, or the widow). Just as God showed compassion on them when they had been oppressed in Egypt (15:15) and they had been redeemed, so they are now to show compassion for the disadvantaged.

v. 19-22 shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow – Because there were no social programs for the poor and needy, God institutes a way to provide for them by having farmers leave some of their crops on the field. This was an appeal to those better off because it was ultimately in their best interest to have a concern for the welfare of others.

DEUTERONOMY 25

1 "If there is a dispute between men, and they come to court, that the judges may judge them, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, 2 then it shall be, if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, that the judge will cause him to lie down and be beaten in his presence, according to his guilt, with a certain number of blows. 3 Forty blows he may give him and no more, lest he should exceed this and beat him with many blows above these, and your brother be humiliated in your sight.

4 "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.

Marriage Duty of the Surviving Brother

5 "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband's brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. 6 And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. 7 But if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.' 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, 'I do not want to take her,' 9 then his brother's wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother's house.' 10 And his name shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him who had his sandal removed.'

Chapter 25

v. 1-3 there is a dispute between men – These verses deal with how to prosecute criminals. When two people had a dispute, they were to let the judges decide which one was righteous and which was wicked. The guilty one was to receive no more than 40 blows. Later, Jewish practice was to limit the number to 39 (2 Cor. 11:24), to be sure that no one received more than 40, even in case of a miscount. Limiting the number of blows and making sure that the presiding judge was present to keep things from getting out of hand insured that the offending brother was not humiliated. The word in Hebrew galah means "to disgrace or dishonor." The law, while meting out the deserved punishment, still sought to preserve the dignity of the person. The idea was that they were still part of the tribe and had to be treated as such.

v. 4 muzzle an ox – To let an ox eat while it worked encouraged kindness and consideration to the animals. The Apostle Paul later used this law as an analogy of how people were to support their ministers (1 Cor. 9:9, 10; 1 Tim. 5:17,18).

Marriage Duty of the Surviving Brother

v. 5-6 If brothers dwell together – These verses look at a family issue. When a man died without a son, there were the dual concerns of him not leaving an heir to carry on the family name and the surviving widow quickly becoming a beggar because she had children to take care of her.

v. 7-10 refuses to raise up a name – It was considered a man's duty (Heb. yaban) to take his brother's widow and produce a son who would raise up a name to his brother in Israel. For various reasons, he might choose not to fulfill this requirement. Genesis 38:8-10 and Ruth 4:1-7 record two such events. However, he was legally bound to keep the family name alive. So if he chose not to follow through with this obligation, his sister-in-law could tell the elders of his city about it and remove his sandal from his foot and spit in his face. These actions showed her strong disapproval of his refusal. Such public disgrace illustrates how God used social pressure to motivate His people to obedience.

Miscellaneous Laws

11 "If two men fight together, and the wife of one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of the one attacking him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the genitals, 12 then you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall not pity her.

13 "You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. 14 You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. 15 You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 16 For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteously, are an abomination to the LORD your God.

Destroy the Amalekites

17 "Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, 18 how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. 19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.

Miscellaneous Laws

v. 13-16 a perfect and just weight – These verses deal with merchants defrauding their customers by using different-size weights and measures to their advantage, depending on whether they were buying or selling. God wanted the children of Israel to be a people of integrity and honesty, so their measuring devices were to be perfect and just. If they complied with this requirement their days may be lengthened (Deut. 5:16; 6:2; 11:9, 32:47). If they did otherwise, they were an abomination (the same word as in 24:4).

Destroy the Amalekites

v. 17-19 remember – This deals with the destruction of the tribe of Amalek for their cowardly attacks on the children of Israel as they left Egypt. Because the tribe of Amalek had shown no fear of God or mercy toward His people, they received no mercy. The Israelites were to blot out the remembrance of Amalek, basically putting them under the same ban as the Cannanites. David would defeat them more than 400 years later (2 Sam. 1:1), but they were not completely wiped out until 300 years after that during the reign of Hezekiah (1 Chr. 4:41-43). "You shall not forget" is the last of nine such commands in Deuteronomy.


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SpurgeonMorningMeditation: "IT will always give a Christian the greatest calm"


Monday, January 31, 2011

This Morning's Meditation

C. H. Spurgeon


"The Lord our Righteousness."—Jeremiah 23:6.

IT will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace, to think of the perfect righteousness of Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast and sad! I do not think they ought to be. I do not think they would if they could always see their perfection in Christ. There are some who are always talking about corruption, and the depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the soul. This is quite true, but why not go a little further, and remember that we are "perfect in Christ Jesus." It is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corruption should wear such downcast looks; but surely if we call to mind that "Christ is made unto us righteousness," we shall be of good cheer.

What though distresses afflict me, though Satan assault me, though there may be many things to be experienced before I get to heaven, those are done for me in the covenant of divine grace; there is nothing wanting in my Lord, Christ hath done it all. On the cross He said, "It is finished!" and if it be finished, then am I complete in Him, and can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, "Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."

You will not find on this side heaven a holier people than those who receive into their hearts the doctrine of Christ's righteousness. When the believer says, "I live on Christ alone; I rest on Him solely for salvation; and I believe that, however unworthy, I am still saved in Jesus;" then there rises up as a motive of gratitude this thought—"Shall I not live to Christ? Shall I not love Him and serve Him, seeing that I am saved by His merits?" "The love of Christ constraineth us," "that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him which died for them." If saved by imputed righteousness, we shall greatly value imparted righteousness.

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Proverbs31Devotion: "Chasing Love"

Devotionals by Proverbs 31 Ministries

Lysa TerKeurst and Renee Swope photo
Chasing Love
Lysa TerKeurst
Monday, January 31, 2011
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"I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land."  Psalm 143:6 (NIV)

Devotion:
A few years ago, I sat with a beautiful young woman and watched the tears stream down her face. Six months before our meeting, her world was filled with so much. A loving husband, a healthy toddler, fun friends, and a new starter home that her mom helped her decorate.

Life was full.

But some part of her heart still felt restless, unsettled, a little empty. She couldn't put her finger on it. She tried talking to some of her friends but they laughed it off as something related to hormones that would pass.

Only the feeling didn't pass.

She started to feel detached from her husband and disappointed that his love didn't fulfill her. Why couldn't he make her feel loved? She'd always thought of marriage as the ultimate love. He was going to be the one to right her wrongs, fill up her insecurities and give her a lasting feeling of love, or so she thought.

Questions bombarded her constantly... What is wrong with him? Why didn't he say what he's supposed to say? Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm not pretty enough, witty enough, good enough?

Then one day she met a man that said things she'd longed to hear her husband say. He made her feel pretty and witty. Soon, she rationalized that she'd never really loved her husband in the first place. She convinced herself she'd made a mistake marrying so young. That this new man was her true soul mate.

She fell into his arms. A web of lies was spun. The thrill of new romance clouded her every decision.

She had not wanted to come to the women's retreat. She knew it might make her feel guilty and she was past guilty feelings. She was just waiting for the right time to leave her husband and start over with the real love of her life.

But her friends had started to grow suspicious of her pulling back from so many church activities. So, to appease them, she went.

Over the course of the weekend, the walls she'd so carefully constructed to keep everyone at a distance and her secret hidden started to crumble. By Saturday night, she sat down with me and confessed it all.

She desperately wanted to know how I felt so full of God's love. She'd never known that kind of relationship with God. She was now convinced it wasn't the love of another man her heart craved; it was the love of God.

I think this is true of many people. We spend years chasing things in this world that we think will make us feel loved. But everything this world offers is temporary. Everything.

The kind of love our souls crave is lasting, eternal. And only God can fill up our hearts with that kind of love.

The sad thing about chasing love outside the will of God is it invites so much into our lives that is the exact opposite of love. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 is a picture of God's perfect love. It is patient. It is kind. It does not envy... it is not self-seeking... it does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth... it always protects... it always perseveres. Love never fails.

This is not a description of what is inherently ours when we fall in love with another person. It is a description of God's love.

This kind of love can be ours as we become more Christ-like and decide to give this kind of love. It is never focused inwardly. It is never about what I'm going to get from another person. It is deciding this is the kind of love I will give away.

False attempts at love will make us impatient, unkind, envious, self-seeking, resistant to the truth, reckless and temporary.

I am challenged by this. Because our souls were designed for God's fulfilling love, if we aren't staying closely connected to Him every day, our hearts will start to feel empty. Restless. Unfulfilled.

Let us never get to the place where we think we are beyond being tempted in this way. If we are all completely honest, we are only a few bad decisions away from the same mess my friend is now trying to untangle herself from. While I have complete hope in God's ability to restore her, the consequences of her chase for love will be severe on many levels.

The kind of love our souls crave will never be found in the things of this world. Lasting and perfectly satisfying love will only be found when we stop chasing and start living out the truths of God.

Dear Lord, please help us see our marriage for the sacred gift that it is. Help me to remain faithful in a way that honors You and brings joy to our home. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Visit Lysa's blog for one thing every wife needs to understand about affair proofing her marriage.

Lysa would be honored to meet you! To check for a city near you, click here.

Join us for the free Made to Crave webcast tonight at 8pm EST. For more information click here.

Application Steps:
Oh sweet friends, can we make a commitment together today? Can we commit to be women who recognize how crafty Satan can be and how vulnerable we are when it comes to our need for love?

Reflections:
If something or somebody in this world seems appealing enough to draw your heart away from the truth of God, will you pray about telling this to another godly woman and asking for help?

Power Verses:
Ephesians 1:4 "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." (NIV)

Matthew 19:26, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (NIV)

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GodCalling: "No detail is forgotten in My Plans"

 

 

January 31  - Suffering Redeems

"No detail is forgotten in My Plans, already perfect."

All sacrifice and all suffering is redemptive: to teach the individual or to be used to raise and help others.

Nothing is by chance.

Divine Mind, and its wonder working, is beyond your finite mind to understand.

No detail is forgotten in My Plans, already perfect.

O let me hear Thee speaking In accents clear and still, Above the storms of passion, The murmurs of self-will.

O speak to reassure me, To hasten, or control; O speak, and make me listen, Thou guardian of my soul!

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of 
peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." - Jeremiah 29:11

 

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OneYearBible: Exodus 12:14-13:16 ~ Matthew 20:29-21:22 ~ Psalm 25:16-22 ~ Proverbs 6:12-15

January 31st One Year Bible Readings

Exodus 12:14-13:16 ~ Matthew 20:29-21:22 ~ Psalm 25:16-22 ~ Proverbs 6:12-15
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on OneYearAudioBible.org or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

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Month One - Today we wrap up Month One of our One Year Bible readings! Congratulations! Your marathon pace is looking great. The wonderful habit of reading from God's Word every day is starting to settle into place in your life. Keep your eyes forward on the path before you this year and your eye on the prize! As Paul tells us in Philippians 3:14 – "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Let us each press on toward the goal!

Old Testament - This is a big day in our readings today - The Israelites officially begin their exodus from Egypt!  Today in Exodus chapter 12 we read about God instituting the Festival of Unleavened Bread along with Passover.  These both are still observed today by practicing Jews.  Verse 14 states the importance of these festivals to the Israelites:  "You must remember this day forever. Each year you will celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD."

Passover_lamb
Passover_bread

Chapter 12 verses 29 & 30 tell us: "And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died."  Below is Dutch painter Laurens Alma Tadema's "Death of the Pharaoh's Firstborn Son" from the year 1872:

Pharaoh_son

Verses 37 & 38 are amazing: "That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. And they were all traveling on foot. Many people who were not Israelites went with them, along with the many flocks and herds."  600,000 men equals probably at least 1.2 million people all together - and probably close to 2 million.  This is a massive Exodus!  Verse 38 is very interesting in that some Egyptians were joining the Israelites in this Exodus!  Think these Egyptians believed in God?

_exodus_

In Exodus chapter 13 we read about God's instructions for the dedication of the firstborn.  Note that based on this law that Jesus, the firstborn of Mary & Joseph, was dedicated to God in the Temple in Jerusalem as we read in Luke chapter 2 verses 21 through 24: "On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”"  I think it's also interesting to note that Mary & Joseph did not present a lamb, but a pair of doves or two young pigeons.  This portion of the law came from Leviticus chapter 12 verse 8: "If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.""  Below is an image of Jesus being dedicated in the temple:

Jesus_dedicated

Bible.org's commentary on "The Passover and the Plague of the Firstborn" is at this link.

New Testament - Today in Matthew chapter 21 verse 22 we read these words from Jesus: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.""  This is a powerful verse if you really stop and think about it...  Do you believe Jesus' teaching here?  Do you believe that if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer?  I do believe this... but then there is always in the back of my mind - "but what about so-and-so who was ill and was praying in belief that they would be healed.  But then they weren't..."   I don't have any easy answer on this one.  I have to believe there are probably some good resources out there for this tough question?  If you know of any resources / books on this subject of prayer - or, more specifically, unanswered prayers - please post up in the Comments section below?  Thanks.

Whoo-hoo!  Today is Palm Sunday in our Gospel reading today!  :)  Hosanna in the Highest!  Hosanna means "Save Now" - Amen!

Palm_sunday_

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Matthew chapter 21 titled "The Triumphal Entry" isat this link.

Psalms - Psalm 25 verse 22 really stood out to me today: "O God, ransom Israel from all its troubles."  As I read this, the Christmas carol, "O Come O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel" comes to my mind.  Indeed, God would answer this prayer of King David's and send his Son to ransom Israel!

o_come_emmanuel_1

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 6 verse 14 today tells us: "Their perverted hearts plot evil. They stir up trouble constantly." This is a powerful reminder of the utmost importance for us to guard the condition of our hearts continually!

Heart_symbol

Worship God:  Reading about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem today reminded me of the Hillsong United song "Hosanna:"


Are you praising "Hosanna?" Click here and praise Hosanna in the Highest!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you would believe in Jesus unfailingly each and every day. Ask for things in prayer that you believe are the will of the Father.

Comments from You and Questions of the Day:  It's interesting to me how fast January seems to have flown by. February is now before us. I don't know about you, but I set some big goals and resolutions this year and somehow I'm suddenly a month behind on progress on those goals. However, even though I am feeling behind on some goals for this year, I know that ultimately my life is in a very good place because I am moving forward with my relationship with God. Reading and studying God's Word every day is a higher priority than any of my other goals and resolutions. Those other goals and resolutions can wait. My relationship with God cannot wait. As long as I am in a growing and loving relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, nothing else really matters. How about you? Are there some goals and resolutions for this year that you feel like you might be behind on? Do you agree that reading from God's Word each day and growing in your love relationship with God is more important than those goals and resolutions?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

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